Remote Learning + Child Abuse Reporting Resources for Teachers

As a teacher, you are used to seeing students at school. Your gut tells you when something might be wrong - a student isn't safe at home or a parent is struggling. Virtual teaching has changed the school environment, but your instincts are still the same.

If you're concerned about possible child abuse and neglect, trust your gut and call 844-CO-4-Kids. Dial 9-1-1 if there is an immediate threat. As mandatory reporters of child abuse and neglect, teachers and school staff are required by law to report their concerns.

Risk factors for child abuse and neglect include social isolation, family stress, parenting stress, financial uncertainty and insecurity, and the absence of child care or school. Physical distancing to slow the spread of coronavirus has increased these risk factors, while calls to the Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline System have decreased. In nearly 70% of child welfare cases, counties can provide services and kids can remain safely at home with their parents. Some of these services may include assistance applying for benefits or classes to help parents manage stress.

Online Training

New! Teacher Toolkit

Teachers, education advocates, the Colorado Department of Education and the Colorado Department of Human Services have developed a toolkit to help teachers get a better sense of their student's emotional and physical safety. Download the toolkit below.

Reporting child abuse and neglect: a conversation with teachers

If it is an emergency, call 911. This will ensure the immediate safety of a child and get medical attention if needed. If it is not an emergency, call 844-CO-4-Kids (844-264-5437).

My school or district policy is different from what I have heard about Colorado’s mandatory reporter law. What policy or statute should I follow?

Colorado’s mandatory reporter statute is an individual legal mandate. It is the responsibility of an individual, not their employer, to report concerns about child abuse and neglect.

A school or district policy does not supersede the state law and prevent mandatory reporters from reporting their concerns or delay the time it takes to make a report.

Am I required to tell my coworkers or supervisor(s) that I reported possible child abuse and neglect?

State law does not specify that mandatory reporters notify their supervisors before or after making a report. School or district policy may vary.

What is a Mandatory Reporter?

A mandatory reporter is defined as a professional who is obligated by law to report known or suspected incidents of child abuse and/or neglect. Mandatory reporters are part of the safety net that protects children and youth and have the ability to provide life-saving help to child victims in our community. Any person specified in C.R.S. 19-3-304 is by law a mandatory reporter in Colorado. If a mandated reporter has reasonable cause to know or suspect that a child has been subjected to abuse or neglect, or observed the child being subjected to circumstances or conditions that would reasonably result in abuse or neglect, the mandatory reporter shall immediately upon receiving such information report or cause a report to be made of such fact to the county department, the local law enforcement agency, or through the child abuse reporting hotline system.

Are teachers mandatory reporters? What about other school staff?

Yes, teachers are mandatory reporters of child abuse and neglect and so are officials and employees of public and private schools. More than 40 categories of professions are considered mandatory reporters of child abuse and neglect in Colorado.

State law C.R.S.19-3-304 outlines the people required by law to report child abuse and/or neglect. The list below identifying mandatory reporters has been adapted from C.R.S. 19-3-304. To verify that you are a mandatory reporter it is recommended that you read C.R.S. 19-3-304, consult an attorney or your employer.

Physician or surgeon, including a physician in training

Child health associate

Medical examiner or coroner

Dentist

Osteopath

Optometrist

Chiropractor

Podiatrist

Registered nurse or licensed practical nurse

Hospital personnel engaged in the admission, care, or treatment of patients

Officers and agents of the state bureau of animal protection, and animal control officers

The child protection ombudsman

Educator providing services through a federal special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and children

Director, coach, assistant coach, or athletic program personnel employed by a private sports organization or program.

Person who is registered as a psychologist candidate, marriage and family therapist candidate, or licensed professional counselor candidate

Emergency medical service providers

Officials or employees of county departments of health, human services or social services

Naturopathic Doctor

Source: Colorado Revised Statutes 19-3-304

What exactly are the responsibilities of a public or private school official or employee as a mandatory reporter of child abuse and neglect?

As a public or private school official or employee, it is your legal responsibility to immediately make an oral report of any suspected child abuse and/or neglect to child protective services.

Depending on the incident, you may be asked to follow up immediately with a written report or to contact law enforcement directly. The person who receives your call will instruct you if this is necessary.

Although school policies may differ from state law, reporting suspicions of child abuse and/or neglect to your supervisor does not relieve your responsibility to report, nor does your reporting relieve the institution’s responsibility to report.

Do I still need to report if I have a concern outside of my normal contact hours? What about kids who are not my students?

As a public or private school official or employee, it is your legal responsibility to immediately make an oral report of any suspected child abuse and/or neglect to child protective services about any child or family that you are concerned about at any time.

Why should public or private school officials or employees report their concerns? Why are they uniquely positioned to make a report?

It is your job and the law to report your concerns about the well-being of a child or family. As mandatory reporters, public or private school officials or employees are part of the safety net that protects children and youth, and they have the ability to provide life-saving help to child victims. Just as importantly, you should report suspicions and knowledge of child abuse and/or neglect in order:

to protect the victim and other children in the home;

to prevent harm to other children to whom the person responsible for the abuse and/or neglect may have access;

to prevent future abuse and/or neglect;

to help provide services to families and children; and

to promote positive changes in families.

As a public or private school official or employee, you are on the front lines and can identify children who may be abused or neglected.

The nature of public or private school officials and employees child-friendly professions makes them uniquely qualified to protect children from abuse and/or neglect. Since mandatory reporters are trained professionals, these reports are consistently more reliable than reports from the public and can provide the agency with the best leads to help support a family in need.

The majority of calls received by child protective services come from mandatory reporters. In fact, the Division of Child Welfare has estimated that 75% of reports in Colorado during SFY 2013 came from mandatory reporters, 15% came from family members, and only 10% came from the general public.

What questions will I be asked when I make a report?

You will be asked for demographic and identity information for the alleged victim, family and household members, and the person alleged to be responsible for the abuse and/or neglect; presenting problem, family supports, and additional questions related to the type of abuse and/or neglect you are reporting.

What information can be shared with me after I report my concern?

Public or private school officials or employees are specified mandatory reporters. When they continue to be officially and professionally involved in the ongoing care of the child who was the subject of the report, but only with regard to information that the mandatory reporter has a need to know in order to fulfill his or her professional and official role in maintaining the child’s safety, statute requires a county department shall provide the following information to the mandatory reporter within 60 days:

(A) The name of the child and the date of the report;

(B) Whether the referral was accepted for assessment;

(C) Whether the referral was closed without services;

(D) Whether the assessment resulted in services related to the safety of the child;

(E) The name of and contact information for the county caseworker responsible for investigating the referral; and

within ninety calendar days after the county department received the report and information concerning the procedure for obtaining updated information.

Am I liable if my concerns are not confirmed?

It is better to be safe than sorry – make the call. Based on the information you provide and information other callers may have provided in the past about the same family, a group of professionals review, evaluate and direct the actions that should be taken to help the family. If your call is screened out, you or the family in need may still be connected with local family support resources.

Colorado state law indicates that:

A report is required when a mandatory reporter has reasonable cause to know or suspect that a child has been subjected to abuse or neglect or has observed the child being subjected to circumstances or conditions that would reasonably result in abuse or neglect.

Individuals or institutions in Colorado who report suspected child abuse and/or neglect “shall be immune from any liability, civil or criminal, or termination of employment that otherwise might result by reason of such acts of participation, unless a court of competent jurisdiction determines that such person’s behavior was willful, wanton, and malicious” if they report in “good faith,” which means they have not reported recklessly or with no reasonable basis for making a report.

Colorado law says good faith is presumed unless challenged by the person claiming the report was not made in good faith. Making a child abuse and/or neglect report isevidence that you fulfilled your mandate to report.

Source: C.R.S. 19-3-304 and C.R.S. 19-3-309

How can I document that I made a report of possible child abuse and neglect?

Every time you make a call, you should request - and write down - a hotline ID number. As a mandatory reporter with a legal requirement to report concerns about child abuse or neglect, you can use the hotline ID as documentation for the call.

As a mandatory reporter, can I remain anonymous?

Child protective services and its employees are required by law not to disclose the name of the mandatory reporter to the family. However, this confidentiality does not apply to reports made to law enforcement.

In addition, it is possible that as a reporter of child abuse and/or neglect, you may be called to testify at a civil or criminal trial regarding the allegations. The victim’s parent and/or family members may be present at that hearing. Remember, it is important that you act as the eyes and ears for the child protection safety net. If reports of maltreatment are not made, appropriate services will not be delivered to the children and families who need them. Without your call, the abuse and/or neglect may continue.

I have more questions about child abuse and neglect, the new Colorado Child Abuse and Neglect reporting hotline system, and what happens after I call; how can I learn more?